Well, the newest change to GS is eliminating unions. Which account for 80-90% of what I do here. Let me make one thing clear, I don't hold any ill will towards the staff of GS for making this decision. They're doing what's best for them and I can respect that. Still, it's left me without much reason to stick around. And so, I must announce my departure from GS.

Let me try to anticipate and answer some questions that you all may have.

1) What about your anime reviews?

As many of you know, I've been writing a review of an anime series/film/OVA once a week for the Anime/ Manga Squad union since... February 2011. Unfortunately, there's not going to be anywhere on GS for me to put them anymore. However, I will still be writing weekly anime reviews and all of my past reviews are up here:

I'm not even sure about that one. The original idea behind the story was to draw attention to the yuri fanclub union. Obviously, that purpose no longer exists. So Fluffy and I are going to have to talk about what we want to do from here. I'll return to tell you what's going to happen with it when we decide.

4) How can I get in touch with you?

Well, there are several options. You could send me a message on MAL. You can chat with me on either of these boards:

"Spread out among the regular soldiers," Jenny said. "Go wherever you'll do the most good and be careful."

"Don't worry about us," Anastasia cracked her knuckles. "I'll heat things up." A fireball formed in her hand. She hurled it at the enemy line.

"Your heat puns are so cute," Callie said.

"Just focus on the fight," Anastasia said, hurling another fireball and another.

Callie faded into a mist. Within seconds the gaseous cloud had gone behind enemy lines. She hovered to a soldier and her face formed in the fog. "You should take all the pins out of the explosives," she said, authoritatively, "for safe-keeping."

The soldier's expression went blank. "For safe-keeping," he echoed.

She floated to another soldier. "you should set fire to the ammunition stores," she said. "We wouldn't want the bullets to get cold."

Anya floated in the air. Weapons wrested themselves away from the enemy troops. Several tanks crunched up like aluminium cans.

"My, my," Christina muttered. "They seem to be enjoying themselves."

Her body twisted and distorted. She let out a roar and ran towards the enemy. Shouts of "dinosaur and T-rex" were hurled around.

How uneducated. I'm clearly a Spinosaurus.

She knocked a group of them away with her tail.

*****

Omicron

"You may have just lost us any element of surprise we might have had," Sirvanna chastised.

"We aren't supposed to be taking them by surprise," Katelyn said. "Theta is."

"Why do you have Sirvanna's bra?" Ines asked, holding it up.

"Don't look at me," Katelyn said. "I didn't touch any of Sirvanna's stuff. I just took a few articles from the rest of your rooms." She looked at it. "I think I found that in your room."

"So that's where I left..." Sirvanna began, before stopping herself. "Never mind." She took it out of Ines's hands. "Let's just get to work!"

They met up with their small force of regular troops and made their way forward with little resistance. One of the regulars gestured for a stop. "There's a wall covered with turrets ahead," she said. "They'll automatically lock on to any living people and fire."

"So, we need a way to take them out before they can rip us apart," Sirvanna said.

"No prob," Ines said. "Follow me in a minute." She put her goggles down and was gone before anyone could protest.

"Fine," Sirvanna said. "While she keeps them tied up, Yuni and I will blast the turrets."

Ines weaved in and out of fire. "What's the matter, can't keep up?" she asked. She ran up the wall, squarely between two turrets. They moved into position, but didn't fire. "Safeties, huh?" Ines asked. "Well, it was worth a try." She ran back down the wall and dodged through the ensuing hail of fire.

A bolt of lightning and a beam of light destroyed the first two turrets. A third turret jerked into position and destroyed another.

"What are you doing?" Alexa asked.

"Keeping a pet turret," Katelyn said. She turned it towards another. "It's kind of a pain to force it to fire, though."

A bolt of crimson lightning tore it open. "We can't risk it reactivating," Sirvanna said. "Let's move on." She turned to Ines. "And what were you thinking? It was way too reckless of you to try to keep them all occupied. You could've been killed and I..."

Ines leaned forward and kissed Sirvanna. "I love you too," she said.

"Moving on," Sirvanna said, walking forward.

"Can I end our arguments that way?" Yuni asked, turning to Alena.

"Won't always work," Alena said.

"I bet it'll be fun to try anyway," Yuni said.

*****

Theta

"Take Blair first and come back for the rest of us," Rose said.

"Got it," Mary said.

"If any bad guys are in the way I'll pound them," Blair said. She and Mary vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Isn't she a bit young to hold the drop off point alone?" Elizabeth asked.

"Probably," Rose said. "But she is the best equipped for doing it."

*****

Mary dropped Blair off and vanished to grab the next person. Blair found herself alone in a small supply room.

That's when the door opened. Blair hurriedly ripped up the steel floor. The soldiers who were coming in lost their footing. Which gave Blair a chance to run forward. The two were thrown back into the corridor with their necks and spines bent at unnatural angles.

"Well, some bad guys tried to come in," Blair said, "But I tossed them out so it's okay."

"You shouldn't have done that," Elizabeth says. "If their bodies get found..." she was interrupted by the alarm sounding. Elizabeth gestured and a massive block of dirt rose from the ground to bar the door. "Hurry, reinforce that."

"Yes Ma'am," Blair said. She tore a sizable chunk of steel away from the floor. She placed it across the dirt and hammered it into place with her fist.

Michael walked through the doorway, his violet eyes blank. The number zero tattooed on his forehead.

"His assertion that he could survive the process with his mind intact?"

"Pure fiction," Chelsea said. "Of course, I could give him some extra obedience testing to be sure."

"Don't play with the equipment," Trask said. "Still, I am concerned that he might become a problem without the chip to stop his higher brain functions."

"There's no need to worry," Chelsea said. "I used a modified chip this time. He'll be able to act independently, but only on tasks we assign him to do. He's the humanoid equivalent of a robot. I'm going to take him downstairs and use his own invention to connect him to the base's system. His initial job will just be to improve efficiency, but I'm sure we'll come up with more specific uses for him as we go. Still, it's a pity I can't run additional tests on him."

"After the war is over, I'll see if I can persuade the brass to let you have him," Trask said. "Until then I can just congratulate you on your success, Doctor."

*****

Glad you all could make it.

Sirvanna, Jenny and Rose stood in the conference room. Naoko was in the chair at the head of the table that Michael had always used.

"Why did you call us?" Sirvanna asked.

"Zhao is here for the meeting!" Zhao cried, running in.

You weren't invited.

"Zhao is worried that Naoko might try to lead Jenny into unsavory activities," Zhao said.

I suppose it doesn't matter. The reason I've called you here is that we can't sit still and wait for Michael's signal.

"Of course not," Jenny agreed. "When it comes we want to be in the optimal position to carry out the plan, after all."

And you three lead some of our best squadrons. So I've called you here to talk about advancing the western line.

Naoko flipped a switch and a projection came up.

This is Wolszlyn's base. One of the major defensive sites for the alliance. If we can take control of it, we should be able to occupy a good chunk of the surrounding area before the enemy forces can stop us.

"You have a plan, Love?" Rose asked.

As a matter of fact, I do. Our main force will make a concentrated strike against the enemy line and push their way towards the base. Omega Theta Sigma will head this attack.

"In the meantime, Omicron will circle around in a flanking motion with a smaller force. They're defenses aren't as heavy to the North, but they're still substantial. You'll have to watch for turrets, troops and more.

"Got it," Sirvanna said.

Theta will use Mary's gift to get inside the main Command centre, causing chaos within the fort. Unfortunately, you will be on your own.

"Sounds a bit daft, but we'll give it a go," Rose said.

"A three pronged attack stands a pretty good chance of working," Jenny said. "Any other orders?"

If you encounter any Golem units, show them no mercy.

"Professor wouldn't like that," Zhao said.

He isn't here.

"Does that mean that it's okay to ignore his ideals?" Zhao asked. "The ones that Zhao and Naoko both agreed with when they started." Naoko glared down at her. "Can Jenny give Zhao a boost?" Jenny knelt down, Zhao climbed on her back and Jenny stood, enabling Zhao to look down at Naoko.

Fine. Injure them without killing them if you can. But don't put yourselves at risk if you don't have to. She looked up at Zhao. Is that acceptable?

"The methods I use to determine a mission's team are irrelevant," Michael said. "Obviously, you aren't going to let me live long enough to make that information useful to you. You my as well just kill me and get it over with."

"Simple," Michael said. "We hacked into the files and we've seen the effects first hand and I can tell you that it will not work on me. My enhanced intelligence will render me immune to the effect. Even if it should succeed, I would be useless to you with my higher brain functions suppressed."

*****

"What do you think, Doctor?"

"He's wrong," the blond woman crossed her arms and looked at the monitor. "Even if the plague did grant him some kind of hyper intelligence it wouldn't allow him to resist the process. Still..." She started pacing.

"Ma'am?"

"It would explain that design we stole from them," she said. "If it was designed for someone with an enhanced mind then it would explain why we haven't been able to find anyone who could survive trying to use it."

"Do you still intend to put him through the process?"

"Yes, General," she said. "I can alter the chip so that it doesn't suppress his brain functions. Rather, it'll program him like a computer. Afterwards we can use his own machine to connect him to our systems."

"For what purpose?"

"Clearly, our security system is inadequate," she said. "His mind will provide us with a very versatile firewall. We can also use him to improve our system's efficiency and to suggest the most logical stratagems. He'll be a very useful tool."

*****

"Colonel Trask,"

"What do you want?"

"We're here to take the prisoner to Doctor Preston's lab, Sir."

"Very well, just don't let him out of your sight."

"Understood, Sir."

The guards took Michael down several corridors and flights of stairs until they arrived at a secured door. It promptly opened for them.

"Doctor Chelsea Preston," she held out her hand. "So, you're the smart guy who thinks he can resist my procedure?"

"And you doubt that?"

"It's impossible," she said. "But thanks for telling us how to put you to work. We probably wouldn't have thought of it if you hadn't mentioned your ability."

Michael kept his expression blank.

"The procedure will take twenty one hours and thirty seven minutes," Chelsea said. "The pain seems to be proportional to the subject's intelligence but don't let it bother you too much, you won't remember it."

She nodded to the guards. They led Michael to a large metallic slab with tendrils protruding from it. They positioned Michael on the slab and several of the tendrils wrapped around him to hold him into place. Doctor Preston connected several devices to him while her assistants started shaving his head.

"It's a pity to get rid of such pretty hair," she said. "But we can't have anything getting in the way of the cranial connections."

Michael steeled himself.

*****

The pain. Have to take my mind away from the pain. Think of the past. Those days before the experiment. Before I lost my family...

No. That's the wrong way. Think of the present. Think of those people relying on me. Zhao. Naoko. Ryu. Trojan. Jenny...

*****

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess I..." Yuni shook her head. "No, I'm not. I can't help but think about what he's going through and wondering if, just maybe, we shouldn't have left him."

Alena put a hand on Yuni's shoulder. "He knew that the greater good could be served by him taking this risk. He's doing it for all of us. The best we can do is honour that gesture, by winning."

"I just hope the new people aren't as crazy as your roommate," Debora said.

"He's just eccentric," Mischa said. "Besides, you should be more concerned that one of them may have seen us together. We've been careful not to get touchy around the group, but we haven't been particularly subtle when no one we know is around."

"That's not funny," Debora said. "Besides, it's not like we've been going to the usual Hoi Polloi hangouts."

"That is true," Mischa said, he made a move. "However, we have no proof that they are among the Hoi Polloi."

Lina got up from her position by Mischa's feet and trotted to the door, wagging her tail. Leonard walked in.

"I have returned!" he cried, Lina jumped on him. "What are you two doing?"

"Playing chess," Mischa said and speculating on what type of people Kody's new friends are."

"Maybe they're prime minion material," Leonard said.

"You can't have any more minions," Mischa said. "You've used your quota already."

"Curses!" Leonard said. "I'd better build a bigger base."

"Sometimes I think you two have your own language," Debora said, making her move. "Get out of that one!"

Mischa studied the board carefully. "You mean like this?" He made his move.

"You found the one safe maneuver," Debora said. "I'll get you eventually, though."

"It is possible," Mischa said. "But the match is far from over."

*****

What are Kody's friends like? Will they confirm anyone's worst fears or just be normal students? Will they even show up this time? And is the 100th episode going to be just an ordinary one or is something special going to happen? Where did Leonard's rainbow lead anyway? These questions and more may be answered next week in Soniczero's blog.

Michael shook his head. "I'm going to shut down the alarm systems for five minutes." He brought a miniature computer from his bag and began his work.

"I thought the idea was to fail," Yuni said.

Alena put a hand on her shoulder. "Can't make it too easy."

"Exactly," Michael said. "We have to make the mission appear legitimate so that they don't suspect anything when we fail. Got it." He handed the computer to Sirvanna. "Take this. If you don't hear from me in thirty-five days gather everyone and play the file titled 'Will.'"

"Got it," Sirvanna said. She placed the computer in her pocket.

The group hurried forward. Ines and Alena brought down a couple perimetre guards and secreted them in the bushes. They went inside.

"Plant the explosives," Michael whispered. "Hurry."

"Got it," Ines said. She ran at significantly less than her best speed, but still faster than any normal human could have hoped to move. The explosives were all planted in a hurry. That's when the alarm went off.

"Get out!" Sirvanna cried. They bolted. Sirvanna electrocuted several guards who stood in the way of their egress. Bullets flew after them. Ines caught any that threatened to hit. Yuni blew a hole in the fence and they hurriedly made their way through and towards the jet. Michael tripped over a protruding rock.

"Help!" he cried.

Sirvanna turned around and moved towards him. Ines grabbed her. "Forget it," she said. "We have to get out." Ines took Sirvanna in her arms and ran.

"I appreciate the offer," Michael said. "However, the truth is that you would likely be detected and the ruse would be revealed. I simply can't take that risk."

"I understand, My Lord," Ryu said. "Please, take care of yourself."

"You as well, My Friend," Michael said. He made his way to his main room.

You can't go.

"I have to," Michael said. "It's a logical plan." He grabbed a small leather pouch and started filling it with various items.

It's still wrong! You hold them together. Without you... "What chance do we all have?"

"It's been a while since I've heard your real voice," Michael said.

Don't change the subject!

"If all goes as planned you'll only have to hold out around a month," Michael said. "I know that you can all manage that much. You're more than capable."

And if all doesn't go as planned?

"Then I'll have to trust you all to manage in my stead," Michael said. "Try to work with the others as a team, okay?"

I suppose I can but... you're the only one who understands me.

"That's because you don't let anyone else in," Michael said. "I'm sure they'd see what a wonderful person you are, if you would give them a chance."

I'll try.

"Thank you," Michael said. "Well, it's almost time. I have to meet Sirvanna and the others." He waved behind him on his way out, hoisting the pouch over his shoulder.

Blair approached him on his way out. "I guess..." she sniffled. "I guess I couldn't protect you from the monsters after all."

"It'll be okay, Blair," Michael said. "Have a brave heart." He grabbed a handkerchief from his shirt pocket and wiped her tears.

"I will," Blair nodded. "So come back, okay?"

"I shall do my utmost," Michael said. He handed her the handkerchief and continued on his way.

"General on his way to mission," Jenny called.

"Let's give him a great sendoff," Rose said.

The members of Omega Theta Sigma, Theta, save Blair, and several other gifted soldiers were lining the corridor. They all stood at attention and saluted. Michael passed between them, stopping to shake the occasional hand or give an encouraging comment. He eventually made his way to the hangar, where Omicron was waiting.

"Ready to go?" Sirvanna asked.

"I am at your disposal," Michael said. He started climbing into the craft.

"Wait..." Zhao came running up. She gave Michael a tight hug. "Professor will come back, right? It's a promise to Zhao, isn't it?"

"I can't promise that for certain," Michael said, returning her hug.

"But Professor is the only family Zhao has," Zhao said. "He has to give Zhao away when she marries Jenny."

"Do people still do that tradition?" Katelyn asked.

"Is that a tradition?" Yuni asked. "Ive never heard of it."

"They do!" Zhao cried. "So Professor has to return."

"I'll look forward to it," Michael said. "I'm honoured to be chosen."

Zhao let go of him and watched him board the craft. Which promptly took off.

*****

"That was quite the grandiose exit," Michael said.

"It's because everyone loves you," Yuni said.

"True enough," Michael said. "Some of them may be overly attached."

"It's a good thing your chances are so high," Alena said. "Otherwise they'd have never let you go, and they're not so high that anyone bothered questioning your figures either."

"Basically, his chances aren't as high as he said they were," Ines said.

"You found me out," Michael said. "Well deduced."

"How high are they really?" Sirvanna asked.

"Does it matter?" Michael asked. "We'll be at the target point in less than an hour."

"It matters," Sirvanna said.

"Very well," Michael said. "My chances are more accurately at around forty two point zero seven percent."

"That low?" Ines asked.

"And you plan to go anyway?" Sirvanna asked. "I should have this mission scrubbed right now!"

"I suppose you could," Michael said. "But hear me out first. If I succeed, against the odds, then we win the war. With fairly light casualties. Should I fail, then I become a martyr. Casualties will be higher, but I estimate that, after my loss is known, everyone will come together in my memory. As your friend so keenly observed, they love me. They will be fierce in the act of avenging me. Casualties may be heavier, but the war will still end within a few months of my loss becoming public. Sometimes a martyr and his ideal are more useful for a cause than a living person could hope to be. In either case, this mission will be instrumental."

"Why us?" Alexa asked. "Why do we have to take you to your little suicide?"

"Because we're fairly new to his team," Sirvanna said. "We're probably the only ones who could bring ourselves to leave him behind."

"Precisely," Michael said.

"You want me to tell the pilot to turn around?" Ines asked.

"No," Sirvanna answered. "We'll go through with it."

"Are you serious?" Yuni asked.

"I don't like it," Sirvanna said. "But what he says makes sense and if it'll serve the greater cause, I can bear to lose him."

"Leonard isn't that strange," Mischa said. "He just tends to get into bizarre and obscure things that a lot of people would find off-putting. And, to be fair, a lot of people would find us off-putting due to our intelligence and the fact that we don't conform to gender norms. You're aggressive and unashamedly speak your mind. I'm more soft spoken and a lot of the things I like are viewed as "girly" as though that's a statement against their quality."

"Where did you find a pink Sailor Moon shirt in your size anyway?" Debora asked, looking down at the image on Mischa's T-shirt.

"I know a place online," Mischa said. "In any case, we're all outcasts of a type. Which, oddly enough, means that you have to be an outcast to fit in with us."

Kody picked up his cell, looked at the screen for a moment and sighed.

"You can't expect to just get on my wavelength." Mischa and Leonard spoke that part in unison.

"You two spend too much time together," Amanda said.

"That's ridiculous," Leonard said.

"Well, we do live together," Mischa said. "And he sneaks into my room at night when he has nightmares."

"I do no such thing!" Leonard said.

The two of them laughed.

Amanda shook her head. "Boys."

"I feel kind of sorry for the girl who eventually dates Mischa," Melanie said. "She'll feel like she's competing with Leonard."

"Does that mean that I should feel like I'm competing with Mischa?" Amanda asked.

"Or she'll be smart enough to realise that they've just got a platonic 'bromance,'" Debora said.

"She'd kind of have to be to be a good match for Mischa," Kitty said. "You'd make a good match for him." She winked at Debora.

"Oh, shut up," Debora said.

*****

Where did Mischa get a pink Sailor Moon shirt? Why do outcasts gather together? Who is this random potential newcomer and how is she going to use super glue against fire ants? Does Kitty know something or is she taking a shot in the dark? These questions and more may or may not be answered next week in Soniczero's blog.

"Must be important," Ines said. "A voice doesn't come into your head and say 'come a running' for no reason." She rushed into the laboratory with Sirvanna in her arms. The members of Omega Theta Sigma and Theta were there. As well as the other members of Omicron and several people they didn't know.

"Please don't call me that, Ryu," Michael said. He stepped forward, slowly. "As some of you know, Jenny and Sirvanna's teams recently encountered several gifted individuals who would neither speak nor do anything besides try to kill them. We've examined the survivor of this group, both medically and psychically. Naoko, please share what you found."

Most minds contain a lot of noise. there are immediate thoughts, subconscious thoughts, memories and much more. Some minds, she glanced at Michael for a brief moment are so complex that even I can't read them. When I examined the prisoner, there was no noise.

"So, she's a television producer?" Katelyn asked.

"Florence and I examined her brain," Michael said. "There's a device implanted in the cerebral cortex that's blocking higher brain functions, but that isn't all. They somehow wiped her mind. All of her thoughts, memories, feelings, experiences and ideals are gone. The person she was, is dead. Florence and I can remove the device, but that won't return any of the information she's lost. Rather, it'll leave her at the mental level of a child. It'll take time to reteach her and get her back to the level of a functional adult."

"How is that possible?" Rose asked.

"I believe it to be the work of a classified project known only as Project Golem," Michael said. "Trojan and I encountered some information about it some time ago, but were unable to break too deeply into the files. It appears that this is the ultimate result. The transformation of human beings into mindless shells. Acting on their programming and denied any agency. It's the most heinous method I can envision of dehumanisation." Michael took a deep breath and looked around. "Needless to say, we can not allow such an atrocity to continue unabated. We're going to have to end this war quickly and many of us are going to have to take greater risks to keep the count of victims to this procedure as low as possible."

"What do we have to do?" Jenny asked.

"It is possible," Michael said "that someone with increased mental abilities could survive the Golem procedure with their faculties intact. If the enemy were to capture such a person..."

NO!

"My Lord, you..."

"You can't really..."

"Professor, think, if you..."

Michael held up his hand and the voices rising in protest went silent. "Please," he said "let me finish. If the enemy were to capture such a person and, if they were to use a device they'd fortuitously captured to link them into their computer systems, then that person could sabotage Project Golem from within. Thus creating a vulnerability within their lines that we could take advantage of in order to end this war in one fell strike. I have considered it carefully and determined that I am the logical choice for this assignment."

"It is possible," Michael said. "However, your chances of success would only be approximately 47.3%. My chances, on the other hand, are around 72.8%. As such, the risk should, logically, be mine. I have made up my mind. Tonight, Sirvanna's team and I will sneak into an enemy Power plant near the western border. We will prepare a bomb, an alarm will be accidentally triggered. We will attempt to escape. I will trip. Sirvanna will turn back and try to reach me. Ines will stop her and carry her to safety. I will be captured while the others escape. They will put me through the process and, within a month, I will enter this facilities systems through a backdoor and play Ride of the Valkyries over the sound system. At that time, you will launch an all out attack and we will end this war." He stopped to take a breath. "That is all, you may disperse."